An outer circumferential region of a metal film and a portion of an outer circumferential region of a substrate on a reverse side thereof are removed, thereby exposing the outer circumferential region of the substrate and creating on a reverse side of an outer circumferential region of the wafer an exposed surface where a portion closer to a face side of a wafer is located outwardly of a portion remoter from the face side of the wafer. When a tape is affixed to a reverse side of the wafer, no gap or a reduced gap is formed between the tape and the outer circumferential region of the wafer. As a result, problems are restrained from occurring when the wafer is divided to manufacture chips therefrom.

A method and an apparatus for bonding semiconductor substrates are provided. The method includes at least the following steps. A first position of a first semiconductor substrate on a first support is gauged by a gauging component embedded in the first support and a first sensor facing towards the gauging component. A second semiconductor substrate is transferred to a position above the first semiconductor substrate by a second support. A second position of the second semiconductor substrate is gauged by a second sensor mounted on the second support and located above the first support. The first semiconductor substrate is positioned based on the second position of the second semiconductor substrate. The second semiconductor substrate is bonded to the first semiconductor substrate.

A vacuumizing device includes a vacuum chamber, a bonding fixture and a vacuumizing system. The bonding fixture is disposed in the vacuum chamber and includes a substrate table provided with a plurality of grooves for retention of the substrate by suction. The vacuumizing system is disposed in communication with both the vacuum chamber and grooves. During vacuumizing by the vacuumizing system, a vacuum value in the grooves is smaller than or equal to a vacuum value in the vacuum chamber. In the vacuumizing device and methods, the vacuumizing system is used to vacuumize the grooves in the substrate table and the vacuum chamber so that the vacuum value in the grooves is always smaller than or equal to that in the vacuum chamber. As a result, the substrates are firmly retained on the substrate table without warping, thereby improving the quality of substrate bonding.

A laser processing device includes a control unit, and the control unit executes a first process of controlling a laser irradiation unit according to a first processing condition set such that a modified region and a modified region are formed inside a wafer; a second process of identifying a state related to each of the modified regions, and of determining whether or not the first processing condition is proper; a third process of controlling the laser irradiation unit according to a second processing condition set such that the modified regions are formed and a modified region is formed between the modified regions in a thickness direction of the wafer inside the wafer; and a fourth process of identifying a state related to each of the modified regions, and of determining whether or not the second processing condition is proper.

The present invention provides a semiconductor chip delamination device for peeling off a protective film attached to one surface of a semiconductor chip, including: a stage unit (400) configured to allow a ring frame, in which the semiconductor chip having the protective film attached thereto is disposed, to be seated thereon; a delamination feeding unit (300) configured to feed a delamination seal contactable with the protective film so as to peel off the protective film from the semiconductor chip; a covering unit (500, 600) configured to allow the delamination seal to cover the semiconductor chip such that the delamination seal comes into close contact with the protective film; and a delaminating unit (700) configured to peel off, from the semiconductor chip, the delamination seal disposed to cover the semiconductor chip having the protective film disposed on one surface thereof, and provides a method of controlling the semiconductor chip delamination device.

The present invention provides a semiconductor chip delamination apparatus for peeling off a protective film attached to one surface of a semiconductor chip, the apparatus comprising: a stage unit (400) on which a ring frame, having the semiconductor chip to which the protective film is attached, arranged thereon is mounted; and a fluid delamination unit (1000) for discharging and spraying a delamination actuating fluid for peeling off, from the semiconductor chip, at least the protective film arranged on one surface of the semiconductor chip.

A grinding wheel is mounted on a tip end of a spindle and the grinding wheel grinds a workpiece according to rotation of the spindle. The grinding wheel includes an annular base, and a plurality of grindstone sets disposed in an annular manner on one surface side of the base along a circumferential direction of the base. Each of the plurality of grindstone sets has a first grindstone and a second grindstone having a self-sharpening capability lower than that of the first grindstone, such that the first grindstone and the second grindstone are adjacent to each other in a predetermined orientation in the circumferential direction of the base, and a predetermined interval larger than an interval between the first grindstone and the second grindstone in the circumferential direction of the base is provided between adjacent ones of the grindstone sets.

A processing apparatus includes a chuck table for sucking and holding a workpiece and a camera unit imaging the workpiece. The chuck table includes a light passing portion that passes light. The light passing portion includes a first region that overlaps with the workpiece and has a first mirror face that reflects light that advances from the first region into the light passing portion. The camera unit can image the workpiece by detecting light reflected by the first mirror face after having been reflected by the workpiece held by the chuck table and advanced into the light passing portion.

A semiconductor wafer is diced along a plurality of dicing lines in a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction so that a chip is cut out from an effective area. The semiconductor water includes a film formation pattern. At least one dicing line included in the plurality of dicing lines is an on-pattern dicing line which overlaps the film formation pattern in its entire or partial length.

A bonding apparatus includes a first holder, a second holder, a moving unit, a first transforming unit, a second transforming unit and a controller. The first holder holds a first substrate from above. The second holder is provided below the first holder, and holds a second substrate from below. The moving unit moves the first holder and the second holder relative to each other. The first transforming unit makes a central portion of the first substrate held by the first holder protruded downwards. The second transforming unit makes a central portion of the second substrate held by the second holder protruded upwards. The controller performs a control of bringing the central portions into contact with each other. The controller performs a control of changing a protruding amount of the central portion of the first substrate according to a protruding amount of the central portion of the second substrate.